Madagascar: Rebuilding 22 schools

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We became Humanity & Inclusion on 1/24/2018

400,000 people were affected by cyclone Enawo, which hit Madagascar in early March. According to the latest reports, 250 people were injured, 78 were killed, and 18 are missing. Many homes and public buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the cyclone and floods and a total of 1,244 classrooms have been destroyed and hundreds damaged.

Handicap International is planning to rebuild 22 schools in the regions of Analanjirofo and Diana in the northeast of the country, which bore the brunt of the storm. Our goal is to help 8,500 students return to school as quickly as possible, as the education of children has been interrupted across the country.

“We are coming to the end of our assessments but we already know that we are going to help rebuild 22 damaged schools in two northeastern regions, Analanjirofo and Diana, to help 8,431 students and 229 teachers,” explains Anne Burtin, the coordinator of Handicap International’s programs in Madagascar. “This will include repairing corrugated roofs and wooden-board walls. No heavy work, but essential nonetheless. It’s important that children can return to school as quickly as possible.”

Communications are still down in many parts of the northeast, a landlocked area that is difficult to access and hardest hit by the cyclone. On March 17, Handicap International will start assessing districts in the region of Analanjirofo to identify the individual needs of affected people.

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL IN MADAGASCAR

Handicap International has been present in Madagascar for over 30 years, and currently runs several, multifaceted projects. Since 2015, our team implemented an inclusive education project in 59 of the country’s schools to promote the school enrollment of children with disabilities. Addition work in the country has included preventing disability in prison populations, increasing access to maternal and child health care, fighting against the disabling disease lymphatic filiarisis, and advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities. Learn more here.